Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Yesterday, in error, I posted a short item about William Wallace Louttit, a WW1 soldier. He was one of two soldiers, the other was George Milton Atchison, buried at Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery who died on this day in 1918.

Some WW1 soldiers never went "over the top," never went to Europe, and died of causes unrelated to military service. Some who did serve in battle lingered with their wounds dying just a few days or months after the cut-off date for recognition as a war casualty. Some lived and suffered for years with their wounds.

The CWGC database, and other compilations of war dead, records rough justice. Some who are deserving of recognition don't receive it and some less worthy are included. In the next months I'll look at all those recorded as WW1 war dead at Beechwood and at the circumstances of their death.

George Milton Atchison, son of Joseph and Adelaide, born 31 March 1878, died on this day in 1918 and is buried in a military grave at Beechwood Cemetery.

He is listed as Hon Captain on his Circumstances of Death record. Working for the Auditor General's Department his civil death registration records him as a civil servant residing at 30 Euclid Avenue in the Old Ottawa South district of Ottawa. The cause of death is given as "Epidemic cerebro-spinal meningites"

He had served in the Canadian Contingent during the war in South Africa. His wife Laura Maud Atchison survived him.

According to his attestation paper William Wallace Louttit (3320737) was born at Castleford, Ontario on 12 July 1891. He was single, son of William Louttit, occupation accountant (Assigned Pay Branch of the Militia Dept) and residence 86 Elm Street in Ottawa which was his father's address.

He was called up on 25 March 1918 in Ottawa, quartered at Lansdowne Park while attached as a Gunner to the 74th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. Admitted to St Luke's Hospital on April 9 he died of pneumonia on this date. April 15, 1918. His father was a ticket agent for the CPR with paternal origin in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.

WW1 will be the topic for the annual Beechwood Cemetery historical walking tour, this year on Sunday June 8 at 2 pm which will include war-time Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, nurse Minnie Gallagher and Lt Alexis Helmer, whose death inspired John McCrae’s famous poem, ‘In Flanders Fields.’